Chertsey

Chertsey is a town in Surrey, England on the right bank of the River Thames. Known as Ciriotisege ("island of Cirotis") during the 7th century, it is one of the oldest market towns in England, and its abbey was founded in 666 AD. During the 9th century, the abbey and town were sacked by the Danish Vikings, but it grew into one of the largest Benedictine abbeys in England over the next few centuries. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536, the monastery stones were redistributed to King Henry VIII (for use in rebuilding Oatlands Palace) and the villagers (who used them to build the town's roads). The Chertsey railway station opened on 17 February 1848, and the line was electrified by 1937. In 2013, Chertsey had a population of 15,967 people.